Structural component, a shielding component in particular

ABSTRACT

In a structural component ( 1 ), a shielding component in particular, with individual adjacent component sections ( 21, 23 ) which can be brought at least partially by means of a functional unit ( 25 ) into a definable three-dimensional position to each other along an action line, the functional unit ( 25 ), divided into component units ( 27, 29, 31 ), enables definable positioning along at least one further action line ( 29 ) which runs at a definable distance adjacent to one action line ( 27 ).

The invention relates to a structural component, a shielding component in particular, with individual adjacent component sections which can be brought at least partially by means of a functional unit into a definable three-dimensional position to each other along an action line.

While the heat such as that evolved by a high-economy, performance-optimized diesel engine for example, can be very low on the cylinder crankshaft housing, this in no way applies to “hot zones” such as in manifolds, turbochargers, catalytic converters, etc. As a result of the increasingly compact design of engines, components which are not thermally “compatible” are coming to be in ever closer proximity. Hence it is necessary to use so-called shielding components such as heat shields to protect adjacent heat-sensitive assemblies, such as sensors, fuel lines, pressure cells, body parts, and so forth. The situation is also exacerbated by the compact structure in that the high packing density of the assemblies constricts the cooling air flow in the engine compartment. Noise abatement measures can also contribute to this problem. For example, under certain circumstances plastic floor plates having the function of reducing the level of sound emerging from the engine compartment to the roadway can produce effective insulation whereby heat is trapped in the engine compartment. Because of their high surface temperatures in some phases, catalytic converters are among the heat sources which may necessitate the use of protective shield barriers. A typical example is that of design measures such as positioning the catalytic converter in the immediate vicinity of the manifold. This design principle, which performs the function of rapid heat-up of the catalytic converter, and thus of reducing emissions in the cold start phase, shifts a major source of heat into the engine compartment where a considerable number of assemblies are crowded in a tight space. Another reason for the growing importance of shielding components such as heat shields is the trend toward use of thermoplastics. Light and economical materials with their exceptional moldability are rapidly becoming common in the engine compartment, but require special attention with respect to ambient temperatures generated at the application site in connection with other heat-generating engine parts (New materials and Development Tools for Protection from Heat, in MTZ December/2001, Vol. 72, pp. 1044 et seq.).

Structural components such as shielding components in the installed state frequently form arched bodies which surround the components to be shielded in the form of a shell or pipe. In the shielding of catalytic converters a respective heat shield can have a more or less closed tubular shape, so that shielding which encompasses the heat source is formed. During installation, the component sections are moved into the required three-dimensional position in which they form the desired arched or partially closed shielding by the component sections being suitably bent along the action line.

Structural components such as shielding components of the prior art call for a deformation of the metallic material of the structural component which forms a bending bead as the action line which is designed to enable a predetermined change of position of the component sections adjacent to the action line. As has been shown, problems however arise when the known structural components are installed. If the component sections are bent on the bending bead with a comparatively large bending angle, there is the danger of buckling of the material or lack of stiffness of the bending area as a result of overly great material stress. Increased resiliency behavior after completed bending also appears. In structural components which are intended for repeated installation, there is the danger that stability of shape is not ensured upon repeated installation.

On the basis of this prior art, the object of the invention is to devise a structural component, a shielding component in particular, in which the aforementioned problems with respect to installation and operating behavior are overcome.

As claimed in the invention, this object is achieved by a structural component, a shielding component in particular, which has the features specified in claim 1 in its entirety.

In that, as specified in the characterizing part of claim 1, at least one further action line runs at a definable distance adjacent to the action line, the positioning of the component sections which are to be moved relative to each other is effected, not on a single material part, but in two separate material areas adjacent to each other. This means that in any material area a smaller amount of forming occurs. As a result, less force is necessary for contoured forming. High stiffness of the bending area, stability of shape in spite of repeated installation and the danger of avoiding buckling of the material are other advantages. The tendency to resiliency is reduced. Division among several action lines also makes it possible to easily and reliably produce closed shapes of the structural component.

By preference the functional unit used to set the position of the component sections has two action lines which run parallel or at least approximately parallel to each other. If the action lines are formed by bending lines which are defined on the metallic material of the component sections, when the component sections are bent for their positioning the extent of the material deformation is then divided between two parallel bending lines running next to each other. As a result, the expenditure of force required for bending and the danger of buckling of the material are notably reduced. In exemplary embodiments in which there is a stiffening unit placed between the bending lines as a component unit of the functional unit, the danger that a loss of stiffness will occur in the bending area, as could be feared with repeated bending, i.e., in several installation processes, is avoided.

The bending lines can have the form of bending beads which are formed by U-shaped stampings of the metallic material of the structural component.

In advantageous exemplary embodiments the stiffening unit in the intermediate space between the bending beads has at least one stiffening element, the stiffening element or stiffening elements at least nearly, preferably completely, bridging the intermediate space between the bending beads.

Especially reliable stiffening occurs when there is a plurality of stiffening elements in the form of stampings of the metallic material of the structural component, preferably a succession of stiffness beads running transversely to the bending beads.

The inventive configuration of the functional unit which is used to set the position of the component sections with more than one action line is especially advantageous when structural components with a more or less closed shape are to be produced, for example shielding components which jacket a heat source, such as a catalytic converter, with tubular sections. The invention makes it possible so to speak to produce “closed” shapes without major expenditure of force for forming.

The invention will be detailed below using drawings in which

FIG. 1 shows a partially detached top view of a structural component according to the prior art in the form of a shielding component which is arched to form a partial shell;

FIG. 2 shows a detached top view of the central part of one exemplary embodiment of the structural component as claimed in the invention in the form of a shielding component which can be brought into a tubular, closed shape to form a jacket shielding a heat source, and

FIG. 3 shows an end view of an exemplary embodiment which shows the component sections in the positioning which corresponds to the closed tubular shape.

FIG. 1 shows the outside of a structural component according to the prior art in the form of a shielding component of metallic material which is designated as a whole as 1 and which is arched in the form of a shell, said material being high quality steel sheet, in an application as a heat shield, preferably with a multilayer structure containing a heat insulation layer. In the example shown in FIG. 1, the shielding component consists of three component sections, a main component 3 which is for the most part flat, an arched side component 5 which is bent out of the main plane of the main component 3, and a mounting component 7 which is likewise bent relative to the main component 3, with mounting holes 9. The main component 3 is also penetrated by a mounting hole 9. Additionally, in the main component 3 there are trough-like impressions 11 and 13 to increase the stiffness of the main component 3 and for vibration damping. A corresponding trough-like impression 15 is located in the side component 5.

For bending the side component 5 and the mounting component 7 relative to the main component 3, between these indicated component sections there are bending lines which are a bending bead 17 and a bending bead 19. The bending bead 17 connecting the main component 3 to the side component 5 defines the bending line for bending of the side component 5. The bending bead 19 defines the bending line for bending of the mounting component 7.

FIGS. 2 and 3 show one exemplary embodiment of the structural component 1 as claimed in the invention in the form of a shielding component intended as a heat shield for a heat source such as a catalytic converter, and the structural component can be brought into the closed shape shown in FIG. 3 and in which it forms a heat shield which surrounds the heat source. As in the solution shown in FIG. 1 corresponding to the prior art, the structural component 1 is formed by a laminate material with high quality steel sheets and a heat-insulating intermediate layer. Two component sections which each form a respective half-tubular component in the closed shape shown in FIG. 3 are designated as 21 and 23. The component sections 21 and 23 adhere to each other by way of a functional unit designated as a whole as 25, which functional unit represents the area along which the component sections 21 and 23 are positioned relative to each other in order to move the component sections 21 and 23 out of a more or less extended position into the closed shape shown in FIG. 3.

While in the prior art this positioning is effected in such a way that the process of bending of the side component 5 relative to the main component 3 takes place on a single bending line, the bending bead 17, and the bending of the mounting component 7 takes place from the main component 3 on a single bending line, the bending bead 19, in the invention the functional unit 25 which serves the purpose of bending the adjoining component sections 21 and 23 is divided into component units consisting of two bending lines located next to each other, specifically the first bending bead 27 and a second bending bead 29. There is a stiffening unit 31 located between the bending beads 27 and 29 as another component unit of the functional unit 25.

In contrast to the prior art, material forming when the component sections 21 and 23 are being bent is divided between two bending lines, by which the aforementioned advantages arise in the forming and installation of the structural component 1. The stiffening unit 31 has a close succession of stiffening beads 3 (not all shown in FIG. 2) which extend transversely to the bending beads 27 and 29 in the intermediate space between them. The stiffening unit 31 thus forms a stiff bending area which ensures stability of shape in spite of repeated assembly processes (bendings). Moreover the component sections 21 and 23 can be brought into the closed shape shown in FIG. 3 without major expenditure of force and without the danger of buckling of the material.

In place of the stiffening elements shown for the stiffening unit 31 in the form of transversely running stiffening beads 33, there could be differently shaped stiffening elements, for example stampings with a shape running obliquely to the bending beads 27, 29 or running lengthwise thereto, or irregularly shaped stampings. It is still within the scope of the invention to configure the two action lines 27, 29 non-parallel, especially angled to each other in order to thus achieve wedge-shaped or conical shaping of the adjacent component sections 21, 23. 

1. Structural component (1), a shielding component in particular, with individual adjacent component sections (21, 23) which can be brought at least partially by means of a functional unit (25) into a definable three-dimensional position to each other along an action line (27), characterized in that the functional unit (25), divided into component units, enables definable positioning along at least one further action line (29) which runs with a definable distance adjacent to one action line (27).
 2. The structural component as claimed in claim 1, wherein there are two action lines (27, 29) which run at least approximately parallel to each other.
 3. The structural component as claimed in claim 1, wherein the action lines of the functional unit are formed by bending lines (27, 29) which for the definable three-dimensional positioning enable bending of the component sections (21, 23) of the structural component (1) adjacent to the pertinent bending line, along the bending lines (27, 29).
 4. The structural component as claimed in claim 3, wherein there is a stiffening unit (31) provided between the bending lines (27, 29) as a component unit of the functional unit.
 5. The structural component as claimed in claim 4, wherein there are bending lines in the form of bending beads (27, 29) which are formed by U-shaped stampings of the metallic material of the structural component (1).
 6. The structural component as claimed in claim 5, wherein the stiffening unit (31) in the intermediate space between the bending beads (27, 29) has at least one stiffening element (33) such that the stiffening element (33) or several stiffening elements (33) at least almost, preferably completely, bridges or bridge the intermediate space.
 7. The structural component as claimed in claim 6, wherein there is a plurality of stiffening elements (33) in the form of stampings of the metallic material of the structural component.
 8. The structural component as claimed in claim 7, wherein the stampings are made in the form of a succession of stiffness beads (33) running transversely to the bending beads (27, 29).
 9. The structural component as claimed in claim 1, wherein it is designed as a shielding component having two component sections (21, 23) of half-tubular shape which are integral with each other and which adhere to each other by way of a functional unit (25) running in the lengthwise direction of the tube so that the shielding component can be brought into a laterally opened tubular shape and into the shape of a closed tubular body (FIG. 3) by positioning the component sections (21, 23) along the action lines (27, 29) of the functional unit (25). 